Have you ever felt overwhelmed when choosing between carbide and high-speed steel for your taps, drills, end-mills, or rotary tools? Such confusion is common among property and industry owners, especially those new to the business. And you should know that there is no proven formula to make the right choice every time. This is mostly because different components of steel have different challenges. This includes various aspects like size, design, type of material, hardness and quantity of batch.
Yet, having a preliminary but crystal clear conception of both steel types might help you make a more informed decision.
Understanding the Character
Generally, the primary feature of almost all HSS, or high-speed tools, is their high level of working hardness. HSS tool steel also offers considerable toughness. They are relatively economical than that of carbides. They can be a good choice for both "low volume" and "high mix" applications.
Carbide is the relatively harder variety, though. This is why many Hot Work Steel Suppliers offer it to clients looking for tools that last longer. Another advantage of carbide tools is that they can cut faster than a traditional HSS tool. But then again, carbide tools tend to be brittle. So when you choose it, you also choose the risk of having tools that can chip or fracture easily.
Where does HSS earn those extra Brownies?
As a form of
hot work tool steel, HSS is a clear winner over carbide in applications where:
- The set-up seems not to be rigid.
- The components that you would machine are
clamped poorly.
- The condition of the machine spindle is poor.
How do their chemical properties differ?
The HSS steel
also front steel has silicon, carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, chromium,
nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten as main components. Chromium and tungsten make
it more resistant to softening, especially when heated. This also helps to
enhance their speed of cutting.
On the other hand, cemented carbide or Tungsten carbide has compounds like titanium carbide, cobalt carbide, tantalum carbide and, of course, tungsten carbide. It also comes with cobalt, titanium, iron and the like. The presence of these metals makes them excellent conductors of heat and electricity.
How do their Physical Properties differ?
Generally, HSS possess excellent hardness and resistance to abrasion resistance. Also, it offers various grades of trading that allow for hot hardness, toughness, and reduced brittleness. Consequently, this variety of alloy is useful in processing industry-grade cutting tools.
Again, tungsten carbide offers impressive toughness, strength and wear resistance even when heated at high temperatures. However, the true productivity of carbide tool steel highly depends on the ratio of its raw materials and chemical composition.
Where do you find their Usages?
By and large, HSS is primarily used to make precision tools, such as broaches, hobs and gear shapers. It is also a common material to prepare cutting tools like taps, drills and even saw blades.
Carbide tool steel is also a common ingredient in manufacturing specialized cutting tools. But, it is also used to make moulds, measuring equipment and applications that involve high temperature and pressure.
The Conclusion
There hardly
seems to be any clear winner among HSS and carbide steel. This is because you
must consider several aspects before choosing the right hot work tool and Hot Work Steel Supplier. For example, you have to consider factors like the
depth that you need to cut the tool, the size of the tool, its shelf life, and
its intended use, among others. This is why it is always important to take the
suggestions of experienced steel suppliers before embarking on any project.
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